Col de la Madeleine

Join us for one of our special or bespoke weeks and we’ll take you to this amazing climb. This is one of the most famous cols in the Tour de France and has been in the Tour 25 times. The Northern side of this 25.3km climb the road begins to snake up with an average gradient of 6.5%. Gaining 1,585m it takes you up to the summit at 2,000m with some staggering views on the way. Watch each kilometre go by as you ride past markers giving you the height and distance to the summit, your elevation and average gradient for the following kilometre.

Originally a 2nd category climb when first used in The Tour in 1969 its since been upgraded to the hardest category HC (hors category). This is a great climb to add to your list of cols and you can be sure it won’t be long before you’re watching le Tour ride over there again.

Here’s what coach Chris thinks of the Col de la Madeleine:

“This has to be one of my favourite climbs of all time. Every kilometre marker has you guessing what’s coming next, the hairpins are all completely different, meaning you need to keep your focus to find the best line through them to maintain your rhythm. There are flat sections and steep bits and when you get to the top the panoramic views provide glimpses of Mont Blanc in one direction and Col du Glandon in the other. Coupled with a sense of following in the footsteps of cycling legends and for me, this climb is really special. A lot of people talk about the Alpe d’Huez but its essentially a slog up a dead end road. The Col de la Madeleine is a gateway to many great mountains.”